Heirloom
by Gray
Summary: Finally updated! Revised slightly as well...Kasumi has an heirloom that was given to her by her mother, so what happens when it is accidenally broken? And what's this about it leading her to her true love? And where does Ranma fit into that? R+R please!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Now I'm going to do something silly. I decided to write a prologue to a story that already has three chapters. Oh well, hopefully no one will get too confused. Oh yeah, Ranma ½ is Rumiko Takahashi's work, and though I am sure my fanfiction would insult her, mainly because it is so terrible, hopefully she would realize I mean no harm, and forego legal action…er, right Takahashi-san?

Ranma ½ 

Heirloom

Prologue: "Wedding Night"

By Gray

It had been several hours now since the wedding. The people had left, the gifts had been put away, the mess had been cleaned, and the debris left over from the explosions, special attacks, and general fighting had been cleaned to acceptable levels. Naturally, there was still a lot of work to be done in regards to the mess, but the worst of it was done. The groom sat in silence against the wall of the Dojo. His body was covered in shadow and only a thin sliver of moonlight illuminated a portion of his face. One eye shined in the light. But it was not a hopeful, happy shine. It was a dark, raging kind of shine. The type that emanated from a fire that could rage out of control at any moment. The eye was blue with hints of gray in it. Rather peculiar, but oddly beautiful in its own way. The eye had seen much in its owner's short span of life. Battles, Dragons, Phoenixes, Demons, and everything in-between, the eye had viewed it all. Yet never had the eye shown such dark despair or frigid fury as it did now. It almost seemed to glow in the darkness of the night, like a beacon of hopelessness in a sea of carnage. The groom had been pushed too far. Today he had seen friends turn to enemies, family become exploiters, and his own wedding, to the girl he loved, ruined. Yes, tonight was Ranma Saotome's wedding night, or rather would have been had his wedding not been bombed, attacked, and in general just destroyed by the petty fighting of jealous rivals and bickering fiancées. In truth he should not have expected anything less. These people had certainly never shown him any other sort of behavior, so why on earth would they start now…? Oh that's right…China…and more specifically Phoenix Mountain, where death had nearly claimed one of their number, and the greatest, most brutal battle of his life had taken place. He had thought that after such a climactic, traumatic, and altogether sobering experience such as that would have changed the others. It had certainly changed him after all. He was still a rude, egotistical chauvinist of course, but something within him had definitely changed after Saffron. Perhaps it was the simple fact that he no longer saw the world the same way. He had faced life-threatening situations before, but never had they hit so close to home, or been so important. He had fought a God! How he was still alive to even to think about it still eluded him. And more importantly, he had very nearly lost his dearest friend and perhaps future wife to the icy claws of death. He no longer saw the world with the same innocence he once did. He realized just how dangerous his life was and just how incredibly close he had come to losing Akane and his own life as well. In short…Ranma Saotome had grown up. He was still a long way from being a responsible adult, but he had reached the turning point. He was on the road to adulthood. It was just such a shame that at the moment, he was walking it alone…The others had acted as if it had all never happened. How truly typical! Whenever something bad happened, what did the residents of Nerima do? Why, they ignored it of course! Pretended it never happened. Refused to face reality. His Father, Mr. Tendo, Shampoo, Ucch…Ukyo, Ryoga, Kuno, Mousse, and even Akane! They all practiced this bizarre ritual of pretending that what they believed, no matter how skewed or unrealistic, was the truth. Never mind the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Whenever their fractured little views of the world were threatened somehow, they simply refused to believe it. And usually, they got violent…Today was no exception. It wasn't that it was anything new for them. Oh sure Ukyo and Shampoo used bombs, and Kuno had a real katana, but really, similar things had happened before. That wasn't the point. The point was that even after perhaps the most traumatic event of his life, they still had to go and ruin everything…it just wasn't fair. And Akane…Now she was angry, nothing unusual, but she blamed him for all this. She had said, or rather screamed, that if he had just gotten rid of his "floozies" and been nicer to Ryoga, and Mousse, and hadn't fought over the Nannichuan cask, then her wedding wouldn't have been ruined. Once again, no matter how much the circumstances proved otherwise, she had to go and blame him…it just wasn't fair…Did she thing he wanted this? Did she think he wanted all those nutcases to come and endanger his family's lives with their psychotic brawling, and what about Nabiki leading them there, or Mr. Tendo keeping the Nannichuan from him? That really made him angry…Old man Tendo had a full cask of Nannichuan, and instead of letting him use it, he held it over his head and used it to force him into marriage…and his own Father! Fighting him for the damned water! Even though he already had a life before getting cursed, even though it was his fault in the first place that they were cursed…He still fought tooth and nail and helped cause the Nannichuan to be lost forever…Ranma's fists clenched as his visible eye burned with fearsome rage and hate. But after a moment he sagged, his head bowing, his hands relaxing. What did it matter? It was bound for disaster even before it had begun…One thing was for sure though…His head snapped up, the moonlight once more embracing his right eye…One thing was for sure…Things needed to change, and soon…or else he was going to go insane…the problem was…things rarely changed around here, without affecting him in some way, and usually not for the better…

"I'm not sure how much more of this I can take…" Ranma whispered. A cloud passed over the moon, blocking its light momentarily, and Ranma was plunged into darkness once more…and oddly enough…He didn't move a muscle…He stayed that way…deep within the darkness…until a stray breeze picked up…and a misty fog grew outside…

Author's Notes: Okay! The true beginning of this fic! A little dark I admit, but hey, this is how I sort of saw the aftermath of the wedding going, at least in Ranma's case…thought there'd be some lemony content judging from the title huh? Well, not from this author…I've never done a lemon before, and I'm pretty sure that if I did, it would be so bad that I would become the laughing stock of the fanfiction world…What's that? I already am?!?! Oh, well… never mind then… maybe I'll write one some other time…Now go and read the next three chapters! I revised them and I think they're a lot better now! Go on! Get out of here!


	2. Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma, crazy old Takahashi-san does… Nuff said….

Ranma ½: Heirloom Chapter 1: "Kasumi's Heirloom" By Gray 

Morning struck the zone of chaos known as Nerima, Japan with an unusually sedate feeling this particular day. Of course, morning was perhaps the only time of day when a resident of the Ward could enjoy some peace without having to worry about a ki-blast in the air, or a razor-sharp bandanna whizzing by, or any other number of chaotic disturbances that marked the place as Japan's number one hot spot. Most stayed away from it. People weren't that stupid after all. But some lived there anyway, because it was exciting, or because it meant possibly witnessing a phenomena of amazing proportions, and some, some lived there because it was their home. Kasumi Tendo, unmarried housewife and paragon of kindness, fell into the latter category. She had lived there her whole life, and was not about to stop now, even though she was at the age when one normally left the "nest". Even if she did live with the center of the chaos, one Ranma Saotome, she wasn't about to abandon her admittedly needy family. So as it was everyday, that Kasumi rose this morning earlier than the other residents of the Tendo Dojo, to make breakfast and prepare the house for the day. She rose with her trademark smile; happily greeting the morning with the cheerfulness only one with a truly kind soul could muster. Some questioned how Kasumi could remain so happy even when disaster upon disaster seemed to fall upon her home. But Kasumi viewed Ranma's arrival with a different light. Unlike many, she did not view him as the cause of all the destruction and terror that plagued the area. Rather, she saw in him a kindred spirit. A victim of fate who had many heavy responsibilities dropped on his shoulders at a young age with little choice but to endure. Just like her. So even when the pig-tailed one screwed up, as he often did, Kasumi always gave him the benefit of the doubt. She always quietly supported him when nobody, even his own fiancée Akane Tendo, did not. Because there was other thing Kasumi saw in Ranma that no one else did. The fact that he had a kind soul almost the equivalent to her own. He did not always let it show, but when he did, it mattered, at least to her. He wasn't perfect, but he tried. He tried so hard to be honorable, to do the right thing, to make everyone happy, no matter how much suffering it brought him. Again, this was similar to herself. Kasumi smiled as her thoughts of Ranma continued.

"He's such a good person. I sometimes wish that I hadn't…" She lightly blushed as she let her thoughts stray towards her refusal of the engagement on that fateful rainy day. She couldn't believe she was even feeling this peculiar attraction to the younger man. Yes she had been living in the same house as him, and he was extremely pleasing in terms of physical looks, but still… She sighed and tried to focus on something else. She found it in the form of a beautiful, ornate urn that rested on her dresser. There was one other reason besides the young Saotome, that Kasumi remained so cheerful, and that reason was the urn. The lovely, flawlessly green urn that rested sacredly on her mantle. The color matched her vivid emerald eyes, and the beauty of its appearance matched her own looks if one were to compare the two aesthetically. It had been a gift from her Mother. The most precious item the late Mrs. Tendo had left her eldest daughter. She had given it to Kasumi when she was about to pass away.

 On the final night of her days on Earth, she had called the family into her bedroom, and told of her love for them all. She then asked to talk to Kasumi privately. The younger version of Kasumi had watched her Mother with sadness in her pools of green. Her mother had spoken to her of many things that night, but some words stuck in her mind more than others…

_"Kasumi dear, please, don't be sad. I won't just fade away you know. You'll see me everywhere you go. I fear that Akane and Nabiki are not yet old enough to deal with this yet… So I beg you dear, try to help them through it. I know how strong you are… I'm going to give you something to give you strength though I think it might give you something else…" Her mother reached over from her bed, and took a small green urn into her hands. Cradling it gently, she presented it to the awed Kasumi, who took it wordlessly. _

_"That Kasumi dear, is something that has been in my family for generations. It is my most precious worldly possession. Passed down from Mother to daughter over the years." She paused and smiled faintly at her daughter._

_ "I want you to have it… Keep it always. I somehow have the feeling, call it women's intuition if you like, that it will bring you great happiness in the future, it will bring you great love from another…" She then sighed and laid back on the bed, suddenly feeling tired. She smiled a loving yet sad smile at her oldest child, her face displaying wistfulness._

_"You look so grown-up. It seems like only yesterday I was smiling at your innocent face while you were in your crib… I love you Kasumi, give my love to the others, and please, be strong…" With that said, Mrs. Tendo left our world for one of eternal peace. Her eyes closed one final time, a content smile on her face. Kasumi just stood there, still in shock, before she yelled for her family to come quickly…_

Smiling sadly at the now bittersweet memories, Kasumi sighed and came back to the present. Finishing her morning preparations, Kasumi spared a moment to glance outside her window. The sunlight shone on the house like a heavenly light, and the air was crisp and cool with the morning breeze. Kasumi smiled a genuine smile of bliss and hope.

"Yes, I think it will be a good day today… Yes indeed…"

Ranma sighed as he headed downstairs for breakfast. He didn't think it was going to be a very good day. He had woken up feeling very tired. Running away from crazed fiancées all night will do that to you. He had finally lost Ukyo, Shampoo, and Kodachi around eleven at night, and had crawled home, only to find Akane, her accusations, leaps of logic, and of course, her mallet, waiting for him. Though thankfully the other members of the Tendo family had left this morning to take care of some sort of business pertaining to the neighborhood council that Mr. Tendo was a part of, though why his old man went was beyond him…perhaps food was involved…yes, that was probably it…

_"At least it's a Sunday…"_ He mused with a melancholy smile on his face. He walked into the kitchen, hoping to grab something to eat since he had woken up late. Stepping into the only truly calm place in the whole Tendo household, except when Akane was cooking of course, he immediately noticed that the ever-present Kasumi was nowhere to be found, only to remember a moment later that she had gone with the others. 

"Duh you idiot…" He muttered to himself, wishing his brain wouldn't take so long to wake up. Not that it was ever put to much use, some would argue. 

"Oh well…" Shrugging Ranma went to fix a meal for himself. He frowned as he found the cupboards bereft of plates or bowls. He was about to just wash a few himself, when he heard the small sounds that indicated someone was out near the koi pond in the backyard. His eyes blinked in confusion. 

_"Now who could that be?"_ He wondered. Ranma quickly and very silently, moved out to the backside of the compound, and scanned the area. He hoped it wasn't a rival, or worse yet fiancée lurking about, and was extremely cautious just in case. One had to be in his situation. Finally his eyes settled on the supposed intruder. The person was behind one of the sheets that Kasumi had hung up to dry earlier. Stealthily as a cat, but don't tell him that, Ranma came up from behind the sheet, and in one fluid motion, flipped it up, grabbed the person from behind and turned them to face him. His wide blue eyes met slightly frightened emerald ones as he realized how truly stupid he was. 

"Ka…Kasumi!" He stuttered in fear. He immediately started bowing and voicing apologies. It was true Ranma bowed to no one, but for Kasumi, he made an exception. She was Kasumi after all! 

"Oh geez, I am so sorry! Please, please forgive me! It…It won't happen again! I promise! I know I'm a moron and I…" He felt a delicate hand on his shoulder, and glanced up to behold the giggling face of the eldest Tendo daughter. He had never really noticed before, but Kasumi was actually rather attractive, no, more then that. She was…

"Cute…" He whispered. He started as he realized that not only had he said that out loud, but also that she had heard him. She blushed in embarrassment, and he mirrored her in that regard. There was an uncomfortable silence for a while, before her tentative voice came to his ears.

"Um… Why don't we go inside Ranma? I was just about to fix some tea…" Ranma nodded and the two entered the worn Tendo living room, which had seen its fair share of battles, table-bashings, and stratosphere kicks, but still, thanks to the miraculous home-making skills of Kasumi, appeared very peaceful and homey. Ranma welcomed the familiarity. It helped to get his mind off of things… Like how nice Kasumi's soft arm felt when he grabbed her. Or how pretty her eyes were. He gulped rather loudly. What was he thinking? Was he sick or something? Maybe Akane had hit him too hard last night…

_"Bad thoughts. Must make bad thoughts go away…"_ With that in mind, Ranma tried to think of a martial arts kata to get his mind off of…

_"Damn it! Not again! Wish Akane were here to just brain me again with her mallet…Stupid tomboy, never around when ya need her." _Seeing that a malleting was not going to happen since Akane was not here, he ran over to the wall and started slamming his head into it, very hard, hoping to simulate the effects of his fiancée's wrath and replace his strange and frightening thoughts with the much more familiar pain. The sharp agony of an attempted concussion started to replace the images of Kasumi, that is until she asked calmly but in a worried tone of voice what on earth he was doing. Turning to her with a sheepish expression on his face, Ranma stuttered and tried to come up with an excuse.

"Uh…um…that is…" He was stumped, but Kasumi let him off the hook anyway.

"Well it doesn't matter what you were doing. Come on, sit and have some tea with me." She kindly requested. He nodded wordlessly and sat across from her. Akane never let him off the hook. If he didn't answer or even if he told the truth, she nailed him with the damn mallet. He could admit that he put his foot in his mouth many times, but still… 

_"Man, Kasumi is so much more understanding and well…nice than her sisters… I wonder why?"_ He mentally shrugged his shoulders at the question though. The Tendo sisters were as different and varied as the weather, and twice as unpredictable. Much like a pleasant misty day, Kasumi was a welcome and peaceful relief from Akane's raging thunderstorms, and Nabiki's ruthless blizzards. He shook his head as he realized that she was talking to him.

"What Kasumi? I didn't hear you." He said, a tad embarrassed for not listening to her. She smiled and repeated her question.

"I said, how is the tea?" She replied. Ranma realized that he had not taken a sip of the tea the whole time, and embarrassedly took a gulp. Of course, he could have just answered her without tasting it. Kasumi's tea, like everything else she did, was flawless. Ranma grinned and gave her the thumbs-up, causing her to laugh lightly. As the two of them sipped their tea in companionable silence, Kasumi was struck by just how "right" it all felt. Her sitting there, with him, the cool breeze blowing in through the open back door, the morning sunlight warming the air, and the rare peace permeating the general area. She soaked it all in like a sponge taking water. Of course, the peace wasn't always what she preferred. Before Ranma came, things were much too boring. Although she didn't show it, Kasumi actually enjoyed it when interesting things happened. It was so dull without Ranma around. That's why whenever there was a danger of him leaving, she always grew very worried. Worried that the excitement and adventure that had become a staple in her life would leave with him. Sometimes she envied Akane; being engaged to such an honorable, kind, and exciting young man like Ranma. He had many faults, but his good points shone through, particularly considering his only influence when growing up was a greedy lazy man with little decency at all. She frowned internally when she thought of Genma, but shrugged it off, as it was far more pleasant to her, and most people, to think of his son instead. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice when her elbow knocked the cup of hot tea she had just poured herself over, and right onto her foot, which was by the table. She bit back a scream of pain, but a small cry escaped anyway. Ranma heard and realized what had happened. 

"Oh geez Kasumi! Are you alright? Here! Let me help you!" He dashed over to her with lightning speed usually reserved for his fights, and scooped her up into his arms before she could protest, not that she would have. At least not very much… He made sure that her burned foot was not rubbing against himself, and gently carried her upstairs.

"Ranma, where are we going?" She asked curiously. He looked slightly nervous and replied.

"Well, I thought you might wanna lie down, so I'm taking you to your room. Um, is that okay?" She smiled at his overreaction to a rather simple accident, but did not protest. 

_"He's so sweet… How can Akane call him insensitive?"_ She wondered. They reached her room, and he nudged the door open with his foot. Striding into the, in her eyes, dull room, he delicately placed her on the bed and helped her get comfortable. Unfortunately, as he was placing her on the bed, he stumbled in his embarrassment and fell on top of her. To say that they were blushing would be the understatement of the year. Both of them were so red that their entire bodies felt as if someone had set them ablaze. But neither moved. Ranma couldn't help but stare into her jade pools and she got lost in his own deep-blue eyes. Both were unsure of what exactly was going on. Both had never let themselves feel attraction towards another, and had kept normal human feelings of that sort bottled up inside, only to have them begin to erupt unexpectedly. Closer and closer their faces grew… but then the spell was broken as they realized what was happening, and Kasumi hesitantly spoke.

"Um, Ranma?" She whispered without breaking eye contact. He gulped and slowly rose.

"Uh, sorry Kasumi. It was an accident…" He apologized sheepishly. She nodded slowly.

"Yes, an accident…" She sounded almost disappointed, but he didn't notice. He realized that this was the first time he had been in her room ever since he had begun to live at the Tendo Dojo. To him, it was very nice and pleasant, much like her. She seemed to own a lot of stuff. But then, compared to his meager belongings, anyone owned a lot. His gaze eventually centered on a small green urn sitting on her dresser. It exuded a peaceful aura of tranquility that reflected Kasumi herself. It also piqued his curiosity oddly enough. It just seemed so…special for some reason. Like a holy object of some sort.

"Hey Kasumi, what's that?"

Author's notes: I'm revising this fic a little bit before I release the next part, as I feel that it could be better. Bear with me please! And let me know if you like the revision!


	3. Part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½…

Heirloom  Part 2: "Mistakes" By Gray 

"Hey Kasumi, what's that?" Ranma asked as he pointed at the beautiful but obviously very old urn resting on her mantle. Kasumi blinked and glanced at the urn for a moment before replying. 

"Oh! That's something that is very precious to me Ranma…" She explained with a slight reverence in her tone. He continued to examine it curiously, and spoke again.

"Why is it precious?" He asked. He didn't know why he was being so inquisitive. He guessed that it was because the urn just stood out so much. The way it was placed, with nothing crowding around it, and the meticulous cleanliness that even exceeded Kasumi's usual level, just seemed to indicate that this was an object worthy of respect. Kasumi smiled slightly as she thought about his question.

"That urn is something given to me as a gift by my Mother before she died, but you see… It's more than that… It represents things to me. All my hopes, dreams, desires… All of them are represented by that urn. My Mother's faith in me is embodied by her heirloom..." She blushed a bit.

"It sounds silly doesn't it?" She asked timidly. Ranma shook his head furiously.

"No way!" He closed his eyes briefly and opened them again, and Kasumi could swear she saw a flicker of pain pass through them. Ranma spoke once more.

"I-I wish I had something like that…Growing up, all I had was…" He smiled slightly.

"I mean, I guess I do come to think of it… The thing that represents my hopes and dreams, is the Art…" Kasumi smiled and nodded.

"Yes! That's right! We all have something precious to us that represents our dreams of the future…" Ranma nodded again.

"Yeah, you're right…but hoe come you don't bring it someplace where everyone can see it…I mean…It is your Mother's right? So wouldn't she want everyone to admire it…?" He trailed off uncomfortably, realizing that he had probably put his foot in his mouth once more. And in front of Kasumi no less… There was a tense silence. Ranma finally broke it.

"Well, I guess I better get going, the others will probably be back soon…and we both know how they'll take me being in your room." He sounded oddly disappointed and slightly embarrassed. Kasumi started slightly and held up a hand.

"No, please Ranma… Stay a while." She pleaded. Ranma turned to her and blinked in confusion, before wordlessly nodding and sitting on her bed where she indicated. It was rare that Kasumi asked anything of him. The least he could was keep her company for a bit. Together, the two talked non-stop, learning a great deal about each other that they had never know before. They kept talking… and laughing… and just enjoying one another's company… until the other members of the Tendo Household finally returned. But Kasumi and Ranma promised that this would not be the last time they talked, but rather, the first of many…

Kasumi hummed merrily to herself as she busily dusted the various areas of Ranma's room. He was in the dojo training now, so she figured now was as good a time as any to clean his room a bit. It had been a week since their first "talk", and they had had several more after it, much to her enjoyment. She noted that it took her very little time to clean his room, but then again, he owned so little… Letting a breath out, she surveyed the room, and with some satisfaction saw that it was about as clean as humanly possible. In other words, about average for her. Then she frowned as she realized that she had completely forgotten his unmade futon. Shaking her head at the pig-tailed boy's forgetfulness, Kasumi quickly set about the task of making Ranma's bed. Which of course made her blush a bit as she realized that this was something a wife might do for her husband, thinking of Ranma's bed led to other thoughts that would shock a person who knew Kasumi, but after all, she was a young woman too…she was still a teenager. So deep in thought was she, that she did not notice Ranma entering the room in mid-stretch, with his eyes closed, and his arms stretched above his head to relieve some stress. He stepped on what he thought would be his futon, and instead found himself tripping and falling onto a warm, soft body that emitted an "eep!" When he fell. Opening her eyes, Kasumi stared into Ranma's own. Both were yet again blushing like crazy, and neither spoke for several moments.

"We need to stop meeting like this…" Ranma whispered.

"Yes, we do…" Kasumi breathed in reply. His eyes were so beautiful…like the azure sky itself. She didn't know what was happening. She just knew that she wanted to gaze into those eyes…maybe from a bit closer… so she started to move her head, causing Ranma to do the same. They continued to sit in the same position for a little while longer, their lips drifting ever closer before they heard a shout.

"RANMA!!!" The voice was loud and laced with outrage, and perhaps a bit of jealousy. Both groaned, and Ranma found himself being slammed into the wall by the wrath of a vengeful tomboy. Groaning again, this time in pain, he slowly slid down said wall, falling onto the ground with an "umff!" of discomfort. Kasumi stood up, brushing off her dress, and looked at Ranma's sprawled form with worried eyes. 

"Are-are you alright Ranma?" She asked with concern. He declined to comment, but twitched in reply anyway. Akane stood with a scowl on her face directed at the youth, as always. Kasumi briefly wondered if Akane ever had another expression on when looking at, or thinking about Ranma. It certainly didn't look that way…

"That's what you get for trying to grope my sister pervert!!!" She yelled at his still twitching form. A mumble of words was heard from the pile that was Ranma. Akane curiously leaned closer to hear.

"What Ranma?" She asked. He spoke a bit louder this time.

"Uh-un-uncute… tomboy…" The words were mumbled and weak sounding. Akane blinked a few times, before growling in rage. Her body lit up with a blue aura, and she pulled up her sleeves. Kasumi took a hesitant step back.

"Oh my…" Kasumi muttered as she watched Akane body-slam Ranma into the floor, before administering several blows to various parts of Ranma's body. 

"And I just cleaned this room too…" She winced as a particularly nasty strike was inflicted on Ranma.

"Oh, that must have hurt…" She didn't notice a certain lost boy wandering into the house, or a couple of Amazons coming by…or the okonomiyaki chef entering the premises…well…until they started fighting that is…

Ranma sighed sadly as he walked along the fence by the canal during the sunset. He wasn't sure what made him angrier. Akane's abuse, the others showing up to add to it as usual, or the missed opportunity with Kasumi. Naturally, he buried the thoughts of the latter, as they led to uncomfortable feelings he wasn't ready to face just yet.

"She's never gonna change is she?" His thoughts dwelled on Akane. It seemed that the earlier incident just reinforced something that had gradually been collecting in his mind for a long time. He clenched his fists in anger.

"None of them, none of them are ever going to change. Ryouga still tries to kill me, so does Kuno and Mousse, and then there's the "fiancée's" who don't know when to quit…even after the wedding fiasco…" That had been a particularly nasty incident. Desperation and anger were deadly things. Especially when you consider just how unbalanced and delusional certain rivals and fiancées were… Akane had looked really nice in that dress though…It's too bad her face was always in a frown or a sneer of disgust. He made his way into the park, which was fairly empty at the moment, his thoughts continuing to grow darker.

"What's wrong with them all? Why-why can't they just leave me alone? I just want a life! Is that so much to ask? I just want to be able to wake up and not have to worry about a deranged lunatic attacking me, or a crazy girl grabbing me, or a mercenary blackmailing me…" His hands charged with ki, the physical reflection of his soul. And right now, his soul was quite distressed, to say the least. Sometimes even a small incident like the earlier one with Akane was just enough to send a person over the edge when similiar incidents had been going on for a long time.

"There's only so much one guy can take…and…I…can't…take…it…anymore!!!" He cried as he unleashed pent up emotions that had been festering in his soul for years in the form of destructive energy that lanced up through the sky in a Shi-Shi Hokodan that would do Ryoga proud. Exhausted, physically, mentally, and emotionally, he collapsed to the ground on his knees, the very picture of a broken man. Which is when he heard a slight gasp.

Kasumi had seen Ranma leave the house after Akane's beating, and had hesitantly followed him. The fact that he was so deep in thought probably accounted for the fact that he did not notice her doing so. She had seen him run into the park and had followed him there, only to find him releasing a large ki-blast into the sky, which temporarily awed her, and then falling to his knees. She gasped and ran over to him.

"Ranma!" She said in concern, a note of panic in her voice. He glanced at her and smiled weakly.

"Oh, hello Kasumi…" He whispered. He looked pretty worn out. She tried to support him and help him stand, but he slumped slightly when she placed his arm around her shoulders, so she tried again, this time meeting with success, somewhat glad that all the housework had given her enough muscle to support his larger frame. He smiled slightly at her as they slowly walked home.

"Y'know, you're the only one who ever listens to me Kasumi…" He muttered almost in a daze. He seemed to be someplace else, his voice carried an odd feel with it. She just nodded, curious as to what he was saying exactly. He sighed forlornly and glanced over at the setting sun, which was finishing its routine dip into the horizon.

"You're the only one who understands…" He said quietly. He really was acting strange; his behavior was puzzling her to no end. He then seemed to switch topics.

"Do you remember when you told me that we all have something that represents our future?" Kasumi recalled that time well. It had been the first time they had seriously talked with one another, and the first time in a very long time that someone had bothered to listen to her and have a conversation with her.

"Yes, of course I do…" She answered. He continued to look out at the last vestiges of the sun.

"Well, how can I have something to represent my future, when I don't even have a future?" He whispered. She almost dropped him in shock.

"Wh-what?" Was all she got out. This was so unlike him…What had happened to the Ranma she knew? He saw the sun finally set, signifying the start of the night. He then turned to her, a sad smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, for all the trouble I cause everyone Kasumi… especially you…" She remained silent, unsure of how to respond. They walked in silence for the remainder of the distance home, both lost in thought. Things were coming to a head…Something very big was about to happen…

Ranma tossed and turned in his sleep, his mind filled with thoughts of a future he did not want to have. In it, he was forced to inherit a dojo he did not want, and live a life he did not desire, with someone he did not love any longer. He had loved her once, but now, he was not so sure if those feelings had been genuine. No, they had been genuine, but like fragile glass, they had been shattered after too much abuse…and now lay in broken fragments, virtually unsalvageable. He found himself waking up several times throughout the night, and found sleep to be quite elusive. 

The next day, Ranma wearily pounded his Father into the ground during their daily ritual, and trudged into the living room to wait for breakfast. He was tired beyond belief, and felt a discontent in life he had never really known before. He had never really liked his life. When Ryouga had first shown up swearing to destroy his happiness, Ranma had asked Akane if he was indeed happy, to which she shrugged. Now, he asked himself if he was happy, and the answer was a resounding "No!" 

_"But what the heck can I do? I can fight my enemies and rivals, and I can run from my fiancées, but I can't fight, or run away from my fate…"_ He thought despairingly. He heard the Fathers in the other room, already planning a new scheme to get him and Akane together, and groaned in annoyance.

"Why do they always have to add to my problems? Nosy old jerks…" He muttered as he noticed Nabiki and Akane taking their places at the table. Akane, as always, directed a glare at him, and he wondered what he had done now. No doubt some ridiculous conclusion she had come to. Some imagined insult he had dealt her, or some act of insensitivity he had committed without knowing. He mentally let out a sad sigh. She would never change. He could see that now. Why were things becoming so painfully clear to him now? Finally Kasumi came in with breakfast, and the family all sat down to eat. Ranma mentally chuckled at the idea of them all being a family. How ridiculous! He and his Pop were outsiders here. They didn't belong. They were nothing but freeloaders, end of story. He wondered if Akane would have been happier had he never come. Her life would be a lot better, that was for sure. Then there was Kasumi, if he had never come, she would still have a nice peaceful life, without fear of her home being destroyed by some crazed martial artist out for his blood. The only one in all of Nerima who would suffer from him not coming there would be Nabiki, who would lose a great deal of profit, but he figured she would make do anyway, she was after all, Nabiki Tendo. He noticed Akane still glaring at him, and ignored her, causing her frown to deepen. Ah well, can't be helped. He continued to eat in silence, and outside, a breeze blew by, causing the charm hanging on the patio to tinkle slightly. It was about to happen…

Kasumi smiled as she walked downstairs. The others were still eating breakfast, and she had gone up to her room to retrieve something. Walking into the dining room, she noticed Ranma's eyes widening a bit when he saw what she had in her hands. The rest of the family looked at the old urn curiously, and Soun's eyes widened as well when he saw it.

"Ka-Kasumi, isn't that…" He stuttered out. She smiled and nodded.

"Yes, this is Mother's urn that she entrusted to me. It's my heirloom…" Ranma was puzzled.

"I don't get it Kasumi, why did you bring it down from your room?" Akane whirled on him.

"And how would you know it was in her room in the first place!? I knew it! You snuck into her room and probably did perverted things didn't you!" She accused him in typical fashion. Ranma blinked, first wondering how she always came to these conclusions, and then wondering what "perverted things" counted as to her. 

"Probably breathing in my case…" He thought to himself. He noticed Kasumi had started talking again.

"I've decided that keeping it where we can all see it would be better than leaving it in my room. You did mention that it would look nicer if everyone could see it Ranma, and it is a gift from Mother after all." She explained cheerfully. Soun started weeping.

"Oh Kasumi! You make me so proud…" He trailed off and started speaking incoherently, and everyone, as always, tuned him out. Nabiki looked at the urn curiously.

"I wonder how much it's worth…" She muttered. Ranma, Akane, and most of all Kasumi glared at her. She held up her hands to ward them off.

"Kidding! Kidding!" She said hastily. Kasumi nodded and set the urn on a small table.

"There, now we can all see it whenever we want!" She then looked over at Ranma. They hadn't talked since the previous night's incident, and she was unsure of how to broach the subject, as she was quite worried about him. He seemed all right, but still… Deciding to talk with him later, she went about clearing the table of dishes, and was pleasantly surprised to find them all already in the kitchen. Ranma rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Um, I kinda already cleared the table Kasumi, I hope you don't mind. She smiled at him in thanks.

"Oh no Ranma! That was very sweet of you. Thank you." She said, pleased and flattered that he would do something so considerate for her. Akane glared at him again.

"Pervert! Stop flirting with my sister!" She yelled as she pulled out the mallet. Ranma gulped and ran out the door into the backyard. Akane of course, gave chase. Kasumi looked on worriedly, while the others ignored the two squabbling "lovebirds." Of course, as with anything in Ranma's life, things had to get complicated. The wall exploded, and there was Ryouga, asking why he was in Nagasaki, before noticing Akane and his nemesis.

"Ranma! Prepare to die!" He roared as per usual. Soon the yard was a filled with hormonally charged martial artists of both genders. Ukyo, Kodachi, and Shampoo battled amongst themselves, While Akane, Ryouga, Mouse, and Kuno sought to inflict pain upon a pig-tailed blur who refused to let himself be hit. Weaving through all the various weapons that his assailants wielded, Ranma noticed that Kasumi was watching worriedly. Unfortunately, his lapse in concentration enabled Akane's ever-present mallet to connect with his head, sending him flying through the doorway leading into the dining room, and right into the table upon which Kasumi's heirloom sat. The results were predictable. The table was knocked over, and the urn began a descent to the floor. Kasumi watched it seemingly in slow motion as it tumbled towards oblivion. Ranma saw it too, and his eyes widened as he reacted with every ounce of speed he had. His hand lashing out at incredible speed…he was so close…

 He almost caught it. Almost… The urn struck the floor on its side, and shattered into dozens of pieces, and somehow, everyone heard it. They all stopped fighting and stood dumbly looking at the smashed green heirloom lying in pieces. Kasumi's face was blank. Ranma watched her, feeling guilt so great that it seemed to choke the life out of him. Kasumi's face seemed to almost twist into a scowl, but it stopped, and settled into an unreadable gaze that would make Nabiki proud, who was of course watching the events from the kitchen with a blank look on her own face. Akane herself was speechless, her mouth opened and closed several times, unsure of how to react to the fact that her Mother's urn was lying in shards on the floor. Kasumi glanced at all present, causing them to flinch, and calmly walked up to the pieces, scooping them up in her apron, and walked upstairs, all eyes watching her go. Only Ranma saw her tears. Tears that shattered upon the ground. Shattered like her urn, shattered like her dreams…shattered like his heart…

**Author's Note's:** Well, that another chapter done. Sorry if it was a little depressing at times, but them's the breaks. Anyway, please review…and I hope you liked the revision.__


	4. Part 3

Disclaimer: If you think I own Ranma, then I've got a dojo in Nerima to sell you…

**Heirloom**

** Part 3:**"Guilt"

By Gray 

"Someone once told me that you should take whatever life threw at you and smile… But I wonder, how can one smile when life throws something like this your way…"

After the "incident" everyone else had left the general area quickly, even Kodachi and Shampoo, leaving only Ranma sitting in the dining room alone. Akane had run up to her room to deal with her own shame, though he had no doubt that she would come to the conclusion that it was all his fault, as was common in Nerima. Nabiki had also gone to her room and was doing whatever it was she did when feeling bad. No doubt plotting on "punishing him" for what he did. The thing was, he felt he deserved it. The Fathers had left to get drunk, though that was normal. Whenever they faced a problem they couldn't handle, they ran away and escaped it temporarily, hoping that it wouldn't be there when they returned. The two were made for each other. Ranma's face was expressionless, staring blankly at the spot where "it" shattered. The only movement he made was the slow blinking of his eyes. Ranma had always felt guilty for the things that went wrong in the lives of the people closest to him. He supposed when one is blamed for everything by everyone, one eventually will believe it himself. He somehow knew deep down inside that all the problems in Nerima would disappear if he did. He never admitted it to anyone of course, but he felt it nonetheless. The only person who never blamed him for anything, was her…Kasumi. But he knew that this would change. The fact was, he felt it was his fault. After all, if he had just dodged Akane's strike, or just been a little faster in catching the vase, this all would have been averted. He held up his hands in front of his face and silently examined them, the first movement other than eye blinking in over half-an hour. Turning them over, he continued his intense scrutiny of the two things he used more than anything else in his life. What good was the ability to punch over 300 times per second if one couldn't even catch a simple urn? What good was the skill to defeat a dragon prince, or even a dragon itself, if one couldn't even save a single heirloom? An heirloom more precious to the kindest person he ever knew than anything she had. An heirloom that represented all her dreams of the future, now smashed into tiny pieces, by the foolishness of a single stupid little boy who couldn't even fix his own problems, let alone those of others. He stopped looking at his hands and closed his eyes, clenching the two of them into fists. He wanted to scream, to yell and destroy something, or battle some unbeatable foe, or smash things like his fiancée did. Anything to let some anger, some anguish out. His fists, his weapons, became simple hands once more as he relaxed them, and sighed. Why couldn't any of his big problems ever be solved through fighting? It was the only thing he was good at after all…the only thing he was good for too…

"Damn it…" He whispered in a quiet voice.

Kasumi Tendo had almost always seemed to have an answer to everything. Whenever a problem arose, she handled it calmly and cleanly, solving it, or at least lessening its implications with a cheerful smile or a few wise words. It was a common misconception among people however that she had a solution for everything. She could remember one time she couldn't solve a problem, when she didn't have an answer. When her Mother grew ill… And now this. For the first time in years, since that time in fact, Kasumi Tendo was crying, and it felt odd. Holding the shattered pieces of her urn in her apron, sitting on her bed, she sobbed out her frustrations, and like a dam, all the other things she felt were unfair or wrong with her life came out with her tears. She wondered why she seemed to always have things that bring her happiness snatched from her grasp. It was so painfully cruel and unfair. But whom did she blame for it this time? She paused and searched her feelings. She just wasn't sure. The various suitors for starting the brawl, Akane for knocking Ranma into the table, Ranma for bringing all this into her life. She remembered thinking how she sort of liked the chaos he brought because it made her normally boring and dull life more interesting, now she hated it. She wanted her old life back. 

"I want everything to be peaceful again Mother…" She choked out quietly amidst her sobs. She had done nothing to deserve this. So why had it happened?

No one had seen Ranma or Kasumi for several hours now. Akane had, as predicted, blamed the entire incident on Ranma, and was currently in the dojo smashing cinder blocks to help relieve some pent-up anger, and perhaps help convince herself of how she had no part in the blame since she had only been punishing the true guilty one. Nabiki blamed both her little sister and Ranma, but mostly Ranma, blood was thicker than water after all, even Jusenkyo water. She was currently thinking of ways to make the Saotome boy pay for making Kasumi sad. Soun was ready to kick him out of the house, promise or not, but some conniving from Genma, as well as a large dose of sake, calmed him down enough to where he wouldn't take measures quite so drastic, although Genma planned his own tormenting of Ranma, not for breaking the urn, but for causing Kasumi to not cook lunch. Needless to say, everyone was ready to make Ranma suffer, not realizing that he was doing a fine job of it himself. Kasumi sat in her room still, recalling that Nabiki had told her through the door that Ranma had disappeared. Kasumi frowned slightly in thought.

"Running away…you fool… you coward…" She muttered as she watched the outside through her window. Wondering if a certain pig-tailed blur would land in the yard anytime soon, and not counting on it. Ranma was not the person she had thought he was it seemed.

Ranma stood, readying himself for a good old fashioned release of frustration. Akane broke blocks, or his bones on occasion, but he did things little…differently. He held a single tin can in his hand. His head was bowed. With a slow wind-up, he threw the can high into the air, until it was almost impossible to see under the bright sun. Immediately he sprung into action. He flowed through the forms he knew by heart, and had perfected for years. Faster and more furious his movements grew, until only truly skilled fighters would be able to see more than a blur. Sitting by the canal he was training at, were various targets. A piece of wood stuck into the ground here, a trashcan or barrel standing there. He moved to each, obliterating them in different ways while still keeping the pace of the kata he performed, making it all look like one complete dance of dizzying steps and maneuvers. A swift knife-hand and the post was cut cleanly in half by the air-pressure alone, a deceptively simple crescent-kick, and a barrel was smashed to scrap. The can finished its ascent into the sky… A spin and a hand was held up with a burst of ki contained within it. Releasing the ki, a tiny soda can sitting on another post was blown apart from several meters away, the post followed soon after, being struck with a powerful blast of the same potent energy. The can started to fall… If one looked closely, one would see that the ki he used was not his typical confidence type, but instead closely resembled the depression ki of the eternally lost Ryouga Hibiki. Except for besides depression, there was one other emotion contained in it. The painful emotion called guilt. Ranma, had learned recently to apply any emotion he wanted to his ki attacks. As long as it was the dominant emotion he felt at the time. Hence his ki techniques would vary depending on his mood. Thus, unlike Ryouga, he would not need to be depressed to do a shi shi Hokodan, or confidant to perform his own Mouko Takabisha. He had stumbled upon this ability during the battle against Saffron. His own anger and feelings of helplessness at Akane's condition had fueled his power, and perhaps was what gave him the power to crush the mighty god. Deciding that thinking about this particular moment of his young life was painful, Ranma instead focused purely on his exercise, losing himself once more in his movements. His mind cleared and he breathed a temporary sigh of relief. The can finished its descent, and Ranma was there, once more in the center of the now decimated targets, his hand held in exactly the same position, in which the can fell into with nary a sound. Finally finished and feeling somewhat refreshed, he cleaned up the area as best he could and turned to leave, perhaps he would go back to the dojo to confront her… He glanced up at the sky, and noticed that the pleasant misty weather that had descended upon the area earlier had started to become stormy and more violent. Gulping at the omen, Ranma decided that maybe he would stay out a bit longer. He needed time to deal with his guilt anyway…with barely a thought, he obliterated the can still in his grasp with a burst of ki.

Walking down the street of Nerima, warily watching the sky to see if rain would be making yet another visit to its favorite friend otherwise known as himself, Ranma wondered if perhaps some crazy individual was somehow manipulating his life to their whims for some sort of personal gain.

He was just about to turn around and head home to his fate, when a familiar, and very unwanted, cry broke through the air.

"Foul Sorcerer! Today is the day thou shalt fall before the invincible wrath of…" The long-winded speech was cut decidedly short by means of a foot to the face of Tatewaki Kuno, compliments of Ranma Saotome. Removing it, Ranma grumbled about annoying morons interrupting his self-loathing. Honestly, he didn't need people to hate him! He could do that just fine by himself! 

"What is it this time Kuno? Just got bored or something? Didn't we just do this a little while ago?" Kuno growled and brought his bokken up into a loose guard stance.

"For the crime of destroying the beauteous Kasumi's treasured urn, and causing the sister of my beloved, pain, thou shalt pay with thine own life foul scum of society!" He roared, raising his bokken above his head. Ranma glared and slammed a fist into the kendoist's stomach with speed he normally reserved for a battle with Happousai. Not removing it, and instead driving it deeper, Ranma snarled.

"If you psychos would just leave me alone for once, that never would have happened! And have you seen yourself? If I'm the scum of society, than you aren't even included in it!" He yelled angrily. Tiring of Kuno's gurgling and pain filled grunts; Ranma removed his fist, and casually booted him away, not even bothering to look at where he landed as he put his hands in his pockets and started walking again. Around him various people who had been watching filed away, seeing that nothing else was going to happen. And Ranma Saotome continued on, forging his own path like he always did…alone.

Taking yet another detour, he found himself atop the roof of Furinkan High. He had been gone all day and the sun was beginning to dip into the horizon yet again. The whole sky was lit up in a brilliant display of oranges and reddish colors. Ranma silently admired it for several minutes; just reveling in the sheer majesty of it coupled with the incredible view his current position offered him. He never really got a chance to do this, just enjoy the moment. Even now he was wary of someone attacking him, or some fiancée finding him. It irritated him that he had to constantly be on guard in case some weirdo decided to make his life more difficult than it had to be. Sometimes he heard kids in his class complain about things. Things like a bad score on a test, or a girl not liking them, or a myriad of other "difficulties." And he found himself envying them. Envying the fact that they could complain about such simple, trivial matters. He knew he didn't have the absolute worst life in the world. He had his health, although it was threatened constantly, he had both parents alive, although both, especially his Father, were very strange, and he had at least four women after him, even though two were ruthless crazies, one was the sister he never had, and still didn't as much as he wanted her to be, and the last, well the last hurt him more then he would ever admit. The sheer emotional anguish he went through because of her, whether intentional on her part or not, pained him to the breaking point. It was sort of ironic how he had been trained almost since birth to be able to withstand any sort of physical punishment known to man, but couldn't even handle a single insult as simplistic and uninspired as pervert or baka. It made a twisted sort of sense that the great invincible Ranma Saotome could be defeated by a few choice words from those whose opinions he valued. His greatest weakness was not cats, but his own insecurity. And now he had caused the person whose opinion he had come to value most in the world to hate him. Breaking Kasumi's urn, intentionally or not, had nailed his emotional coffin shut. Now he had no one. He was alone, lost and without hope for the future. The sun had finished its descent at last, and he continued to sit there, staring out at the now darkened horizon.

"Damn it…" He whispered in a quiet voice. 

She didn't know why she was walking out at night when she should be at home finishing dinner for her family. Something within her just told her that what she was searching for, what she needed, was somewhere out there. And without another thought, Kasumi had grabbed her coat and left the Dojo. After putting up with everyone talking about making Ranma pay when he got home, and trying to console her, she needed to get out of there. She wished they would just leave her alone. She would deal with this on her own; like she did most problems she had, not realizing that these thoughts were very similar to a certain pig-tailed boy's. Finally deciding that the odd feeling was her imagination, she turned to head back home, oddly enough, she had been going in the direction of Furinkan High, and the feeling had intensified. But now she decided to forget about it. Whatever she supposedly needed, it surely wouldn't be found at Furinkan High on a weekend night! She passed the former clinic of Doctor Tofu and smiled slightly, as it reminded her of a peaceful life, one in which she could rest easy, knowing the things precious to her were safe from harm. A life before…

"No, stop it, don't even think his name!" She thought to herself as she continued walking, only to bump into someone.

"I'm terribly sorry…" A strangely familiar voice said. Looking up at who had spoken, Kasumi gasped. Standing before her was none other than Doctor Tofu Ono, who had been gone for over a year now. He smiled slightly.

"Well, Kasumi! It's been a long time!" 

Author's Notes: Okay…Very angsty I know, but its necessary. This story is going to have its dips and dives I can tell you that right now. I revised this chapter a little less then the previous two, as I thought that, for the most part, it was satisfactory. 


	5. Part 4

Disclaimer: What is hers is not mine, what is mine is not hers…for her lawyers are bigger and meaner than my lawyers…so it is written…

Oh yeah, _italics=thought_

Ranma ½ 

Heirloom

Part 4: "Return"

By Gray

"So…You're cured?" Nabiki asked curiously, so as to clarify the impossible sight that was in front of her. Doctor Tofu Ono, licensed physician and formerly resident shiatsu master, was sitting in front of her in the living room of the Tendo Home, along with everyone else save Ranma of course, and the Doctor had a subtle smile adorning his lips at her question. This in itself was not odd. What was odd was that he was sitting barely two feet away from her sister, Kasumi Tendo, and was still calm, rational, and in control of himself. As anyone who had the pleasure of being around the good Doctor knew, whenever the eldest Tendo maiden was in sight or hearing range, the good Doctor became the insane, potentially dangerous Doctor capable of causing intense bodily harm to anyone nearby. 

"That's right Nabiki. I'm completely cured of the "condition" I used to suffer from." Happiness radiated off of him on an almost ridiculous level. Nabiki was a bit skeptical.

"But how?" She asked. Tofu smiled.

"Well…I had left to find a cure for my problem as you recall, and after several months of travel, I found myself deep in the mountains of China…"

Tofu sighed wearily as he walked along the trail. He had been a lot better at this sort of thing in his younger days. True he was only in his early thirties, but the fact that he hadn't been on a training trip since his teenage years, and that the quiet life of a Doctor had softened him greatly, meant that he was having a little trouble on this journey. He was panting for breath as he finally decided to take a break. Tossing his pack on the ground, he sat and leaned back on his arms, sighing in relief as the pain of his feet faded a bit now that he was off of them.

"Is this really worth it? The only lead I have is from some local rumor that a herbal master that can cure any disease lives up in the mountains here…but I'm sure it's just a myth…I should know better, as a Doctor…" He sighed and took his glasses off; absently wiping them clean of moisture and dirt before replacing them on his nose.

"And yet…how many times have I seen the impossible while living Nerima…Ranma showed me things that I would have never believed…" At the thought of the pig-tailed boy, Tofu sighed, this time in fond remembrance of the place he used to call home.

_"I miss them so much…I wonder how they're all doing…I hope Ranma and Akane realized how they felt for each other…heck, maybe they're even married by now…I'm sure Mr. Saotome and Mr. Tendo would be pleased by that…and then there's that crazy old martial arts master, Happousai…and Elder Cologne…and Shampoo, and that new girl…what was her name? Oh yes…Ukyo…Is Nabiki still running the Furinkan betting pools I wonder? And what about…"_ He stopped himself. Thinking about all of them was making him lose his nerve. He couldn't do that. Ranma wouldn't do that. The whole reason he had decided to undertake this quest was because of the pig-tailed boy. He had seen the way Ranma never gave up. Even when the strength sapping moxibustion had been applied, and a cure seemed out of reach, Ranma didn't give up. He went and he found a way to overcome it. Ranma learned a new technique, and defeated Happousai with it. He needed to do this. He needed to…for her. He wasn't going to return until he could face her like a man, and not a blithering fool. With this in mind, Tofu stood, shouldered his pack, and continued onwards.

Finally, he came upon a strange little house. It was more of a hut really. Barely standing by the looks of it, though admittedly Tofu was no carpenter. Hesitantly, he walked up to the door, and knocked soundly. Some grumbling was heard from within, and after several moments, the door finally opened. Tofu blinked as he saw no one, was the place haunted?

"Down here!" An irritated voice yelled. Looking down, he noted with no small amount of shock, that there was a tiny, shrunken person, who actually bared more then a passing resemblance to Happousai, at least in terms of his height.

"What do you want?" The man was also rather rude obviously. Tofu cleared his throat.

"Um, sorry, but I'm looking for an old herbal remedies master…you wouldn't happen to be him would you?" He asked. The old man snorted.

"Yeah, that's me…" He muttered.

"Though to be honest my remedies are only effective about half the time…" He shrugged.

"Not sure where that rumor about me being able to cure anything came from…" He said. Tofu sighed.

"So…do you think you could cure a condition in which the victim goes into psychotic episodes at the very sight of a particular woman he has feelings for?" He had to ask…

"Hmmm." The old man thought for a moment.

"Come in." He said at last. Tofu nodded, beginning to feel hope blossom in his chest. 

"Wow…" He muttered. The hut was filled with shelves and shelves of various herbs, potions, and other ingredients, resembling some sort of witch doctor's abode. Tofu couldn't see a cauldron though…he just hoped that whatever miracle cure the man gave him not only worked, but also didn't kill him in the process…

"Don't touch anything!" The old man yelled. He went into a back room, and after several moments, emerged with a bottle filled with some bizarre mixture.

"The condition you speak of is commonly called "love hysteria" although it really isn't too common to be honest. I've come across it about three times in my entire life, and let me tell you, I've lived a long time…" He trailed off. Tofu decided to confirm something…

"Are you by any chance related to Happousai of the Anything-Goes school of Martial Arts?" He just had to ask…

"Er…maybe…" The old man seemed to look away uncomfortably, and Tofu let it drop. If he were related to that old man, he wouldn't want it to be known either…

"Will this really cure me?" He questioned as he took the bottle. The old man blinked.

"No!" He said as if it were obvious. Tofu face-faulted.

"Then why did you give it to me?" He asked, slightly irritated, after getting up. The old man sighed.

"Mix that with a certain Jusenkyo Spring's water and you'll have your cure…" The old man said. Tofu blinked.

"Which one?" He asked. The old man looked at him as if he were an idiot.

"The spring of drowned playboy of course!" He said as if it was obvious. Tofu blinked.

"Um…okay…but won't that make me a playboy if I'm splashed with cold water?" Tofu asked. The old rubbed his head.

"That's what the herbs in there are for. When mixed with Jusenkyo water, they lessen the magic enough to where it only marginally affects you, and doesn't give you a curse. If you mixed them with the spring of drowned priest for example, you would only experience an urge to go to church or go worship something once in a while…" He explained. 

But what if it were say…spring of drowned girl?" Tofu asked. The old man cackled.

"You'd grow certain…extra parts…but remain male" He smirked. Tofu gulped.

"I see…so if I splash myself with this potion mixed with spring of drowned playboy water…" He trailed off.

"Then you will never have trouble talking to or being around any woman again…" The old man finished.

"The root of your ailment is your own innate shyness around the woman you love, so this should cure you of the problem…but without making you a total playboy…" He shrugged again.

"But like I said…my cures are only effective half the time…" He warned. Tofu nodded.

"I see…I'll keep that in mind." He fished around in his pockets.

"Let's see…I know I have some money around here somewhere…" He trailed off. The old man snorted again.

"I don't want money…I want a brassiere!" He demanded. Tofu blinked.

_"Definitely related to Happousai…"_ He thought to himself.

"Er…I don't exactly have one on hand sir…" He said in embarrassment. The old man sighed.

"They never do…oh fine…just get lost." He went back into the back room, muttering about stupid relatives having all the luck. Tofu sighed, bowed, and left, the sense of hope now flaring within him.

"Okay…this is the spring…" Tofu said to himself. The guide had been quite helpful, and now he stood before the fabled spring of drowned playboy, where a suave sophisticated fellow drowned 1,200 years ago. Now all he had to do was scoop some out, and mix it with the herbs he already had. He hesitantly pulled a gourd out of his pack, and bent over to scoop some out, not noticing the guide and his daughter making bets over how long it would take for him to fall in. The ground was slippery, but he managed to get a sufficient amount. Nodding, he stood up, and gasped as he slipped. Thankfully, he managed to halt his descent by grabbing the pole sticking out of the spring, and with a grunt, he pushed himself back onto dry land. Sighing in relief, he held the bottled water up to the sun, admiring his prize. He quickly hurried back to the guide's hut to mix the concoction. He didn't notice the guide cursing and handing Plum a few coins, which the child gleefully took.

"Honored sir…I no think splashing self with Jusenkyo water is such good idea…" The Guide trailed off uncomfortably. 

"I understand…but I have to do this…" Tofu said in a determined voice. Nodding to himself, he raised the mixture, and prepared to douse himself. But at the last minute, doubts entered his mind.

_"What if it doesn't work? The old man said that his cures work only half the time…Am I really willing to die for one woman? And there's no guarantee that she will even be mine even if am cured. After all, she might have already found someone else to love by now…"_ These thoughts whirled in his head. Finally, he made his decision.

_"I can't give up now, not when I'm so close…"_ With this in mind, he raised the potion to the air, and upended it…

"…and then I was cured." Tofu finished happily, smiling widely for all to see. Nabiki blinked.

"Just like that? No side-effects of any kind?" She always was a bit too cynical, but then again, nothing ever got cured just like that. Just ask Ranma…

"From what I can tell thus far, no, there are no side-effects whatsoever." Tofu answered. Mr. Tendo nodded his head.

"Wonderful news Dr. Tofu, but I'm afraid things have not been going so well for us as of late…" He sighed wearily and explained the current situation. Akane, Nabiki, and Genma all nodded sagely at the part about it being all Ranma's fault, though one could see that there was a hint of sadness in Akane's eyes. As for Kasumi, she said nothing, giving no indication that she was even listening. Tofu frowned.

"And where is Ranma now?" He asked. Genma snorted.

"That whelp is off hiding somewhere…the coward…" He muttered. Needless to say, it took a great amount of effort for the Tendo sisters not to gag at Genma calling someone else a coward.

"Tell me something Tofu…" Kasumi said after a silence had fallen. 

"Why did you go through all of this just to have your odd condition cured?" She asked. Tofu blushed faintly.

"Ah well…" He stood, indicating that Kasumi should do so as well. Akane realized what was about to happen, and felt an old tinge of jealousy, but a much more predominant sense of happiness for her sister. Nabiki whipped out her camera. Genma and Soun just blinked cluelessly. 

"Kasumi…I've long admired you over the years as I watched you grow and mature into a beautiful young woman…" He paused to gauge her reaction, and seeing her uncomprehending gaze, he continued.

"And…the reason I used to act so…silly…around you…was for a very special reason. It's the same reason I went through so much in order to be cured of it…" He took a deep breath and forged on.

"The reason is…I love you Kasumi." There, he had said it. Sighing in relief, he waited to hear what she had to say. Kasumi raised a hand to her mouth in shock.

"I…I…" She was caught completely off-guard, and had no idea of what to say. She had never suspected that he might…

"It's alright if you don't return my feelings…" He said hesitantly. She shook her head.

"No…I just…I'm not sure…" She braved a smile.

"I…just don't know…this is all so sudden." She began. Suddenly, a noise caused everyone to turn and face the entrance to the living room. Kasumi gasped. Standing there was none other than Ranma himself, currently in girl form. Tears and rips decorated his clothes, a nasty gash, no doubt caused by a bladed weapon of some kind, adorned his side, which he was holding gingerly, and a large bruise was showing on his left cheek. All in all, he looked like he had been through three kinds of hell. His injured side was dripping blood onto the floor, and he painstakingly limped into the kitchen after meeting the eyes of everyone, not saying a word. Everyone watched him go with mixed feelings. But none were as torn as Kasumi.

_"Ranma…"_

He let a slight groan escape his currently feminine lips as he managed to make it to a chair sitting by the shelf so that Kasumi could reach the higher ingredients when needed. Sitting with a wince, he sighed wearily and leaned his head back. Coming home had not been very pleasant. First, Shampoo had been on a delivery and had spotted him, which naturally led to an extremely amorous hug, or rather, attempted suffocation, as she seemed to have forgotten all about the urn incident. And naturally, where there's Shampoo, there is Mousse. The blind duck boy had not taken kindly to Ranma being hugged by his beloved. It was just Ranma's luck that he had remembered his glasses for once and had been able to distinguish him. The blind boy had gotten him pretty good as he attempted to disengage himself from Shampoo. Naturally, Mousse had come to the conclusion that Shampoo was helping him, and had fought even more fiercely to prove his worth to her. This was of course when Ryoga wandered onto the scene. Amazing how no matter how lost he got, he always managed to find Ranma eventually. Now, normally, Ranma would be able to handle Mousse and Ryoga with little problem, but the fact that Mousse's lucky shot had hurt his side badly, and a chance splashing had rendered him female, and Shampoo a cat, didn't help matters. Instead of going into the neko-ken, he had managed to get the pink feline off of his, or rather her, back, and just in time to get pummeled by a Shi-Shi Hokodan too. His "good buddy" Ryoga hadn't stopped there though. He had charged another up, and while Mousse was keeping him busy, unleashed it at his side. The only good part was that Mousse had been partially struck by it as well, and was knocked out. Unfortunately, Ryoga's no weakling even when Ranma fights at full strength, and with his side injured via a sword, his other side burned by ki, a nasty strike on his face, a possible concussion, and an even more fired up then usual lost boy about to engage him, Ranma was in a bit of a jam. He had managed to pull off a win though, nailing Ryoga with an Amaguriken, followed by a Shi-Shi Hokodan of his own. He had then limped home, hoping with all his might that everyone would be gone, but knowing that it wasn't going to happen. And then he came home to the sight of Dr. Tofu, returned and apparently cured, confessing his love to Kasumi, which bothered the pig-tailed boy for some reason. Needless to say, today had been one of the worst of his admittedly short life. Right up there with Jusenkyo, and the neko-ken. Ranma sighed again, and noted that whispered discussion was going on in the other room. Grimacing, as he knew what, or rather whom the discussion focused on, he decided to ignore it for the moment in favor of cleaning his wounds. But to do so meant going to his room, where he kept various medical supplies for emergencies, and there was no way he was going to go back into the living room right now. Moving out the back door, he managed to leap onto the roof, gasping in pain at what it did for his injuries, he limped along, cursing Ryoga for igniting a Bakusai Tenketsu right next to his left leg, until he made it to his window. Using his arms, he managed to enter the guest room with only a minor pain from his side. Once inside his quarters, he rooted around in his ever-present backpack, discovering, with no small amount of anger and irritation, that his bandages and other first aid materials were missing. Cursing his old man for being so greedy, he sighed and closed the pack, shoving it to the side. 

"Feel…so…tired…" He muttered as he made it to his bedroll.

"Think I'll rest a little…yeah…just for a little while…" He closed his eyes, and darkness embraced him. 

Kasumi sighed to herself as she walked upstairs. The others were still in the living room, discussing the situation. Why couldn't they just let things be? She didn't want to be constantly reminded of it forever. Yes, she was still angry, and yes, she was still hurt, but the fact of the matter was, that talking about it and letting the "wound" continue to "bleed" was pointless. Speaking of bleeding…there had been quite a bit of spilled blood in the kitchen. After seeing Ranma like that…A sense of fear had seized her heart, and so, as soon as the opportunity came up, she volunteered to check on Ranma. 

_"I do hope he's alright…"_ She thought to herself. Whether it was his fault for the urn incident or not, he had looked terrible, and the motherly instincts of Kasumi cried for her to help him. Reaching his door, she hesitantly knocked.

"Hello? It's me, Kasumi…" She said. Receiving no answer, she tried the knob. Finding the door unlocked, she entered slowly.

"Ranma…?" She scanned the room, and let out a gasp at what she saw. He was lying on his bed, the wound on his side was oozing blood at an alarming rate, and the covers had already been stained crimson. She removed her sweater hastily. Hurrying over, her first aid training took over, and she quickly went about staunching the flow of blood with her sweater. 

"Someone! Come here! Quickly!" She cried. Hearing the sound of pounding footsteps, she silently prayed he would be alright. 

"Oh Ranma…" 

**Author's Notes:** Probably going to add a little to this soon…still feels a bit incomplete…but hopefully it was okay…This fic is going to be a little longer then I originally intended, as I've gotten some new ideas during the long hiatus it was on.


End file.
